Rotary engine.



PATENTBD APR. 30, 1907. P. WAL'LOT & F. O. KRUGER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR 30, 1907.

P WALLOT & F O KRUGER ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19 1906 InvenZa/"s UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed May 19,1906. Serial No. 317,788-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PAUL Humor and FRIEDRICH CARL KRUGER, both subjectsof the German Emperor, and residents of Hanover, Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which thefollowing is a speci fication.

This invention has reference to rotary engines and more especially toimprovements in engines or pumps with rotating slidingor wing-pistons,and its object is to remedy defects which still exist in this well-knownclass of machine, which is being employed more and more for generatingpower, with steam, water or gas as the actuating agent, and also as anexhauster or pump for gases and liquids. In the simple form of thesemachines with stationary cylinder and. rotating wing-piston, a broadpacking strip let into the cylinder parallel to its axis and pressed bysprings against the rotating piston hub is generally employed forobtaining a better steamor gas-tight contact between said piston-hub andthe cylinder on the contact line, so-that, with the constant grindingthere a broader contacs turface results. Such arrangements have thedefect that the piston wings in sliding over the packing strip receive asudden push inward, unless the packin strip gives in the oppositedirection, in Whic case the Wings move outward owing to centrifugalaction. In both cases there is an undesirable jerking or pounding actionand in course of time the effectiveness of the packing strip is greatlyimpaired, and the first object of our invention is to minimize thesedefects.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse section of a rotaryengine showing the improved means for obtaining a steam tight jointbetween the drum and the casing. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of same,the drum being removed. Figs. 3 and 4 show respectively a side elevationand plan view of the improved piston wing for rotary engines, some partsof the engine being shown in section. Figs. 5 & 6 are respectively aside elevation and a plan view of amodilied form of piston wing, someparts of the engine being shown in. section.

In the engine shown in Fig. 1 and 2 of the drawings, we employ the usualspringpressed packing strip 1 but, instead of lodgin it in a grooveparallel to the axis of the cy inder 4, We arrange it at a certain anglea to the cylinder axis .1 3 and so that the center line of the packingstrip cuts the axial contact line 2 3 midway of its length and the sideedges of the strip each meet said contact line at its ends. With thisarrangement, the piston wings remain in contact with the cylinder at alltimes, including when they are sliding over the packing strip, and thebroader the cylindrical contact surfaces of the wings are so much thebetter is it. While one end of the wing is in contact with the packingstrip and tending to press it outward, the other end is in contact withthe cylinder; and consequently the centrifugal forces acting 011 thewings are practically entirely resisted directly by the cylinder withouta break in crossing the contact line.

In course of time, owing to the constant grinding, the packing stripfits more and more closely to the piston-hub and consequently projectsto some extent from its groove and is subjected to a relative extent topounding by the piston-wings, but in our arrangement of the packingstrip the blows only effect a very small part of the strip and arefurthermore minimized by the crossing, and the consequent forcing down,of the strip being gradual, and the wearing action of the points ofimpact being in the nature of shearing and spread over a long period. Afurther inconvenience with rotary engines is the difficulty inmaintaining the piston wings steamor gastight on all sides. As is wellknown, the wings or vanes must not only make steam-tight contact withthe cylin drical face but also with the ends of the cylinder and withthe grooves in which they slide in the piston-hub. Heretoforespringpresscd packing strips, rings and the like have been employed forthis purpose. All such packing means have to be mounted in suitablegrooves and, strictly speaking, require packing themselves, which wouldlead to very complicated constructions not easily kept in order. Ourinvention provides a remedy for all this, in adapting the sliding pistonitself to serve the purpose of all these packing devices.

In Figs. 3 & 4 of the accompanying drawings, the sliding piston or wing5, 8 is acted upon indirectly by elastic means, shown as springs 6 and7, to first slide the wedgeshaped part 8 of the piston, which is coupledto the part 14 by a pin-and-slot coupling 9, 10, (or 11, 12), so thatsaid parts are pressed into steam-tight contact with the sides of thegroove in the piston-hub 13 in which they are lodged. Further, in orderto obtain steam tight contact between the sides of the piston and theends or covers of the cylinder, by the action of the same elastic means,the complete sliding piston or wing is built up of two sets of parts 5,8 and 14, 15, fitted as just described, and each wedge 8 and 15 of therespective halves 5, 8, 14, 15 is again first indirectly so acted uponthrough wedge shaped bearing blocks 16, 17 and 18, 19 that each half ofthe piston is pressed sidewise against the relative end of the cylinder.In order to prevent steam leaking through the joints 20 and 21 when thesides of the piston begin to wear, these joints are arranged so as notto coincide and they are crossed by connecting pieces 22, 23 having atransverse telescopic action in the grooves 20 and 21 of the piston.WVith a piston constructed as described, the springs 6 and 7, Which arenecessary in any case for obtaining a steam tight contact between theface of the cylinder and the end of the sliding piston or win serve tomaintain all the other points of contact steamtight. When such a pistonin course of time becomes worn in its bearings in the hub, the wedges 8,15, are pressed forward to take up the wear, steam-tight contact beingthus automatically maintained there, and in like manner steam-tightcontact is maintained and wear compensatedfor at the ends of thecylinder through wedges 17 and 19 under the action of the springs 6 and7. A like relation exists on the contact-line of the wing with thecylinder here also, one or the other half of the wing becomes worn atthe point of contact, sometimes more and then less than the otheragainst which it lies, owing to the moving forward of the wedge piece.This construction of sliding piston with which we have just been dealinghas still a defect in that, for obtaining steam-tight contact on allsides, springs are requisite which are housed in the interior of themachine and therefore diflicult to get at. Our invention comprises afurther improvement, which will now be described, which is intended toobviate also this difiiculty by providing suitable means for enablingthe springs or the like to be relaced by steam, gas or fluid pressurebehind the piston. To this end, the wedges, which in this case are actedupon by steam or fluid pressure, effect indirectly themselves theirextension or tightening sidewise, by engaging, through the medium of aninter mediate wedge, and pressing outward the other halves of the pistonlying upon them. This improved construction of piston shown in Figs. 5and 6 differs from that previously described, first, in the omission ofall outside mechanical means of adjustment. The piston as before cutsoff the working chamber completely from all other chambers, andtherefore, without material loss of pressure,

any desired tension may be maintained in the latter, easily-shut-offchambers. These pressures acting upon the piston effect the making ofsteam tight contact between piston and cylinder and also in the guideslot 1? the hub, the tension behind the pistons being necessarilymaintained so that it is at least equal to the counter pressure for thetime being in the working chamber. In order now to enable the pressureat the back of the sliding piston to be utilized also for extending thepiston toward each end of the cylinder, the wedge-shaped piston-members8 and 15, which as already described are connected with the othermembers 5 and 14, against which they lie, by means of the tangentialcouplings 11, 12 and 9, 10, also en.

gage said members 5 and 14 by means of an intermediate wedge 24. shownin the drawing, is mounted on the wedge-shaped parts 8 and 15 in forks25 and 26 without other limits to sidewise move ment than thosepresented by projections 27, 28 on the upper halves 5 and 14 of thepiston, against the beveled faces of which projections thecorrespondingly beveled faces of the wedge abut. To prevent said wedgefrom twisting round it is provided with lugs 29, 30 which bear againstthe parts 8 and 15. This wedge 24 may if desired be reversed, i. e.interposed so as to bear flat upon the piston. As such a piston incourse of time becomes worn away by the friction in its guide slot and,consequently, the wedgeshaped parts 8 and 15 are moved forward, theintermediate wedge 24 acts so as to press the piston members outward, i.e. at the same time there must be or must have been also wearing away ofits two side faces; the adjusting and maintaining of the severalsteam-tight contacts is thus accomplished here also alwaysautomatically. The wear on the contact line between piston and cylinderis compensated for in the manner already described.

Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what weclaim is:

1. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carrier,a radial piston slidably mounted therein, said piston beinglongitudinally divided into wedging members,'and yieldingly acting meansengaging one of said members to force said piston into engagement withsaid casing, said means also serving to maintain steam tight engagementbetween said members and said carrier.

2. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carrier,a radial piston mounted therein, said piston being horizontally dividedinto wedging members, a pin and slot connection for said members, andyieldingly acting means engaging one Said wedge, as

of said memberslto force said piston into engagement with said casinsaid means also serving to maintain engagement between said members andsaid carrier.

3. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston.carrier, a radial piston mounted therein, said piston being horizontallydivided into wedging members, devices connecting said members, andyieldingly acting means engaging one of said members to force saidpiston into engagement with said casing, said means also serving tomaintain engagement between said members and said carrier.

4. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carrier,a radial piston slidably mounted therein, said piston being horizontallydivided into wedging members, yieldingly acting means engaging one ofsaid members, and wedging devices interposed between said means and oneof said members.

5. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carriertherefor, a piston slidably mounted in said carrier, said piston beinglongitudinally divided into members adapted to move laterally againstthe sides of the casing, and wedging devices for effecting lateral andforward movement of said members.

6. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carriertherefor, a piston slidably mounted in said carrier, said iston beinglongitudinally divided into aterally movable members, wedging devicesfor effecting lateral movement of said members, and yieldingly actingmeans for actuating said devices.

7. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carriertherefor, a piston slidably mounted in said carrier, said piston beinglongitudinally divided into laterally movable members, a steam tightcon-- nection for said members, wedging devices effecting lateralmovement of. said members, and yieldingly acting means for operatingsaid devices.

8. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carrier,a piston slidably mounted therein, said piston having wedging membersfor effecting steam tight engagement at its upper and lower walls withsaid carrier, and wedging devices for effecting steam tight engagementbetween said piston and the walls of the casing.

9. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a piston carriertherefor, a piston slidably mounted in said carrier and dividedhorizontally in wedging members, said iston being divided longitudinallyinto aterally movable members, a steam tight connection for saidlaterally movable members, a pin and slot connection for said wedgeshaped members, and wedging devices engaging one pair of said memberseffecting steam tight engagen'ient between the piston and said. carrierand between the piston and the walls of the casing.

10. A rotary engine comprising in combination a casing, a pistoncarrier, a radial piston mounted therein, said piston being horizontallydivided into wedging members, a pin and slot connection for saidmembers, and yieldingly acting means engaging one of said members toforce said piston into engagement with said casing, said means servingto maintain engagement between said members and said carrier and apacking strip angularly disposed with respect to the axis of saidcasing. I

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand in presence of twowitnesses.

PAUL WALLOT. FRIEDRICH CARL KRUGER.

\Vitnesses PAUL SOHEFER, HENRY J. FULLER.

